Life
We summarize the week's scientific breakthroughs every Thursday.
- Animals
Parakeets can catch yawns from their neighbors
Humans and dogs aren't the only ones that can pass along a yawn. They appear to be contagious among parakeets, too.
- Animals
When swimming with manatees, mind the herd
Manatees hang out in Florida’s Crystal River; tourists can choose a mindful visit or a harmful one
- Genetics
Extinct species may get a second chance
An evolutionary biologist explains the obstacles scientists must overcome to revive extinct species.
- Animals
Wealth of cephalopod research lost in a 19th century shipwreck
Nineteenth-century scientist Jeanne Villepreux-Power sent her research papers and equipment on a ship that sank off the coast of France, submerging years’ worth of observations on cephalopods.
- Paleontology
Dino eggs came in different colors
Dinosaur eggs came in bold shades of blue-green and brown-speckled blue.
- Health & Medicine
Mice grow a thinner skin during long stays in space
Mice that spent three months in space had thinner skin and extra hair growth compared with rodents that were grounded on Earth.
- Neuroscience
Cerebellum may be site of creative spark
Brain scan experiment hints that cerebellum might have a hand in getting creative juices flowing.
- Plants
Fifty years ago, ethylene research ripened
In 1965, scientists realized ethylene was the molecule that ripens fruit.
- Animals
Wild dogs cause problems for people in Nepal
The endangered dhole has a reputation for killing livestock, but its taste for blue sheep could also be an issue, a new study finds.
- Genetics
White House hits pause on editing human germline cells
The White House has hit pause, for now, on clinical experiments that could alter the human germ line.
- Neuroscience
Diet and nutrition is more complex than a simple sugar
A new study shows that fructose may leave you wanting more when compared to the same dose of glucose. But in studies of single nutrients, it’s important to be cautious.
- Genetics
Genes and environment balance each other
Genes and environment have equal influence on human traits.
